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MagyarApple iPhone 13 Pro Review - Bombastic smartphone with minor weaknesses
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro share a lot of similarities. However, upon lifting the iPhone 13 Pro the additional heft and the increased size of the camera lenses are immediately noticeable.
The iPhone 13 Pro comes with the Apple A15 Bionic, a bigger battery and a brighter OLED display with adaptive refresh rate functionality. Moreover, the iPhone 13 Pro supports refresh rates of up to 120 Hz. The 128 GB entry-level model still costs 1149 Euros (~$1332). The 1 TB top-end model has an MSRP of 1729 Euros (~$2005).
Read this review to learn about the innovations and compromises that prospective buyers of the iPhone 13 Pro should be aware of.
Likely Competitors
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90.8 % | 10/2021 | Apple iPhone 13 Pro A15, A15 GPU 5-Core | 203 g | 256 GB NVMe | 6.10" | 2532x1170 | |
| 89.8 % | 11/2020 | Apple iPhone 12 Pro A14, A14 Bionic GPU | 189 g | 256 GB NVMe | 6.10" | 2532x1170 | |
| 88.7 % | 10/2021 | Apple iPhone 13 A15, A15 GPU 4-Core | 173 g | 128 GB NVMe | 6.10" | 2532x1170 | |
| 90.4 % | 02/2021 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14 | 227 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.80" | 3200x1440 | |
| 89.2 % | 06/2021 | Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 234 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.81" | 3200x1440 | |
| 88.9 % | 03/2021 | Oppo Find X3 Pro SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 193 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.70" | 3216x1440 | |
| 87.2 % | 07/2021 | Sony Xperia 1 III SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 186 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.50" | 3840x1644 |
Case - Smaller notch for the iPhone 13 Pro
The mid-frame of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro is made of stainless steel and the back is made of frosted glass. The front of the device is protected with Appleās Ceramic Shield glass, which is supposed to be stronger than the glass featured in any other smartphone. However, we cannot confirm this claim, especially given the fact that our iPhone 13 Proās screen had a few micro-scratches just after a few days of careful use. One of the most notable things about the iPhone 13 Pro is its weight. Weighing in at 203 grams, the 13 Pro feels a bit hefty in the hand.
The build quality is simply superb. There are no chinks or jagged edges, and the SIM card slot feels completely flush with the frame. The iPhone 13 Pro does not bend at all. Moreover, the device is IP68-certified, meaning that it is dust- and water-proof.
The notch has shrunk (horizontally). Now, it has an area of just 2.16 cmĀ². The width of the notch was reduced by 0.78 cm. However, Its height increased by 0.4 cm. There is a very significant camera bump on the back, which now has a height of 3.75 mm. The 12 Proās camera bump stuck out only 1.75 mm from the back.
The iPhone 13 Pro comes in the following colour schemes: Sierra Blue (which is the colour of our review device), Silver, Gold and Graphite.
Connectivity - Not all iPhone models support ProRes
As expected, the iPhone 13 Pro still features a Lighting port, which is not known for fast data transfer speeds. However, it has been around for years, which is why the presence of this port ensures a high level of compatibility with various accessories.
The iPhone 13 Pro also features Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, MagSafe, and UWB. An array of magnets (MagSafe) on the back allows users to connect a wide variety of accessories to the iPhone.
The internal memory of the iPhone 13 Pro is not expandable, and there is still no headphone jack. There are 4 storage options:
- 128 GB - 1149 Euros (~$1332)
256 GB - 1269 Euros (~$1472) - 512 GB - 1499 Euros (~$1738)
- 1024 GB - 1729 Euros (~$2005)
Buyers should beware that the 128 GB version is not suited for recording ProRes video, because of the very high bitrate that the ProRes footage has.
Software - iPhone 13 Pro runs iOS 15
During our review, our iPhone 13 Pro was updated to iOS 15.0.2. The update brought new Focus features and expanded home screen customisation.
Apple has also improved the weather and navigation apps. Moreover, iPhones can now unlock cars and doors with the help of digital keys, which can be stored in the Wallet application. Individuals with hearing loss can now make adjustments to audio profiles to improve their ability to hear. For the full list of changes, go to: www.apple.com/ios/ios-15/features/.
Communication and GNSS - No new features for the iPhone 13 Pro
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro supports Wi-Fi 6 (dual-band: 2.4 and 5 GHz). With our reference-grade router Netgear Nighthawk AX 12, the iPhone was able to achieve stable data transfer rates. However, the data transfer rates should have been twice as high, given the fact that the iPhone 13 Pro features a MIMO antenna array. Paradoxically, the iPhone 13 Pro is slower than the vanilla iPhone 13. What is more, this yearās iPhones do not come with Wi-Fi 6E, which offers tri-band support for the first time.
The iPhone 13 Pro supports all the latest mobile communication standards. However, the ultra-fast mmWave 5G is not supported in Germany at the moment. The new iPhone supports two more 2 LTE bands and one more 5G band, which makes it even more usable globally. Apple does not specify the maximum data transfer rates over 5G networks. However, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X60 5G modem in the iPhone 13 Pro can theoretically achieve download speeds of up to 7.5 Gb/s and upload speeds of up to 3 Gb/s.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Sony Xperia 1 III | |
| Average of class Smartphone (42.9 - 884, n=30, last 2 years) | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Sony Xperia 1 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | |
| Average of class Smartphone (50.4 - 895, n=31, last 2 years) | |
Apple does not specify whether the GNSS module in the iPhone 13 Pro is dual- and tri-band. For geolocation, our review device relies on the following global navigation satellite systems: GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS and Galileo. The iPhone 13 Pro had no trouble picking up our location.
The iPhone 13 Pro proved to be about as accurate as our professional navigator Garmin Edge 500 during our bike ride.
Telephony & Call Quality
The call quality of the iPhone 13 Pro is on a very good level, at least in quiet environments. Outside, the iPhone 13 Pro sometimes struggles to suppress the ambient noise. Appleās noise reduction algorithm can make users sound quite nasal when they talking on the phone outdoors. The iPhone 13 Pro features support for VoLTE, WiFi Calling and dual-SIM functionality (thanks to eSIM support).
In loudspeaker mode, Appleās smartphone has no trouble picking up voices, as long as you stay relatively close to it.
Cameras - An all-round upgrade of the triple camera system
The iPhone 13 Pro features the same front-facing sensor as the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro, which is why it produces very similarly looking photos. All in all, the images look natural, and the low-light performance is still relatively poor. Portrait shots turn out well as long as there is enough light. The selfie camera can record 4K video at 60 FPS in DolbyVision. Appleās new film mode also works with the front-facing camera.
The rear camera system consists of three 12-MP image sensors. It has been upgraded this year. Now there are no differences between the Pro models. All three lenses are very powerful. The iPhone 13 Pro offers 3X optical zoom. The ultra-wide lens can now be used to take macro-shots and record macro videos. The iPhone 13 Pro produces significantly clearer images in low-light environments. Day-light photos appear colour-accurate, sharp and well-exposed. Unfortunately, the low-resolution image sensors cannot always provide the same level of clarity as very high-resolution sensors in other smartphones.
This year, Apple has introduced the Film mode, which is currently available only on the Pro models. The Film mode allows users to create a bokeh effect when shooting video. The Pro models should also get an update which will enable them to record video in the high-quality ProRes codec. However, to record 4K30 ProRes video users will need an iPhone 13 Pro with at least 256 GB of storage space. Models with 128 GB of internal memory are limited to 1080p at 30 FPS. Additionally, the iPhone 13 Pro can shoot PAL video at 25 FPS (but not 50 FPS).
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Wide-angleWide-angle5X zoomUltra wide-angleLow-light photography
Under controlled lighting conditions, the cameras of the iPhone 13 Pro produce very detailed and colour-accurate images. However, the preproduction of greens and skin tones could definitely be improved.
Accessories and Warranty - New AppleCare+ products
The contents of the iPhone 13 Proās box are identical to those of the predecessor model. The 13 Pro comes with an Apple sticker, information booklet, a SIM card removal tool and a USB-C to Lightning cable. Apple offers many accessories for the iPhone 13 Pro such as chargers and protective cases.
The iPhone 13 Pro comes with a one-year manufacturerās warranty (and a two-year sellerās warranty in Europe). There are also various AppleCare+ products (warranty packages), which can be purchased to extend the length of the warranty. Apple also offers theft and accidental damage protection via its Apple Care+ programme.
Input Devices & Handling - Finally ProMotion for the iPhone
The touchscreen of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro has a very smooth surface and responds to inputs promptly and accurately. Thanks to a ProMotion display, the iPhone 13 Pro feels incredibly responsive. Appleās default keyboard can be replaced with any keyboard in the App Store.
The iPhone 13 Pro can be unlocked via Face ID, which works quickly and reliably. Unlike the iPad Air, the iPhone 13 Pro does not have a fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button. Being able to unlock the iPhone via Touch ID would have been nice, given the fact that Face ID does not always work with the mask on.
The apple logo on the back can still be used to perform certain actions by double or triple tapping it. This functionality is especially useful in combination with the one-handed mode, which can be launched very fast this way. However, this function must be enabled in the settings.
120-Hz Display with Adaptive Refresh Rate and DC Dimming
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro features a 6.1-inch (15.49 cm, 91.41 cmĀ²) OLED display with an FHD Plus resolution. The brightness has been increased significantly, now reaching up to 1050 cd/mĀ² with the ambient light sensor enabled - this is quite a lot. In the APL50 test, the peak brightness remains basically unchanged (APL50: 1062 cd/mĀ²). With the ambient light sensor disabled, the brightness peaks at 855 cd/mĀ². Apple specifies the peak HDR brightness of 1200 cd/mĀ².
The iPhone 13 Pro and the bigger Max model are the first two iPhones to feature ProMotion screens with adaptive refresh rates which can range from 10 to 120 Hz.
Unfortunately, the OLED panel suffers from PWM flickering (flickering frequency at 10% brightness and below: 240 Hz; at above 10% brightness: 446.4-510.2 Hz). However, Apple has integrated a DC dimming mode into the iPhone 13 Pro. All in all, the iPhoneās screen does quite a bit to ameliorate the OLED flickering.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 98 %
Center on Battery: 1050 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 1.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.2
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro OLED, 2532x1170, 6.10 | Apple iPhone 12 Pro OLED, 2532x1170, 6.10 | Apple iPhone 13 OLED, 2532x1170, 6.10 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 3200x1440, 6.80 | Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra AMOLED, 3200x1440, 6.81 | Oppo Find X3 Pro AMOLED, 3216x1440, 6.70 | Sony Xperia 1 III OLED, 3840x1644, 6.50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -22% | 6% | -34% | -27% | -4% | -165% | |
| Brightness middle | 1050 | 822 -22% | 831 -21% | 910 -13% | 891 -15% | 759 -28% | 537 -49% |
| Brightness | 1058 | 820 -22% | 830 -22% | 913 -14% | 888 -16% | 776 -27% | 539 -49% |
| Brightness Distribution | 98 | 99 1% | 98 0% | 98 0% | 99 1% | 94 -4% | 95 -3% |
| Black Level * | |||||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1 | 1.2 -20% | 0.77 23% | 2 -100% | 1.9 -90% | 0.8 20% | 4.78 -378% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 2.4 | 3.5 -46% | 1.52 37% | 3.1 -29% | 3.7 -54% | 1.8 25% | 7.83 -226% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.5 | 1.8 -20% | 1.2 20% | 2.2 -47% | 1.3 13% | 1.6 -7% | 5.8 -287% |
| Gamma | 2.2 100% | 2.18 101% | 2.209 100% | 2.06 107% | 2.3 96% | 2.23 99% | 2.363 93% |
| CCT | 6504 100% | 6337 103% | 6501 100% | 6512 100% | 6527 100% | 6512 100% | 7982 81% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 510 Hz | ≤ 100 % brightness setting |   |
The display backlight flickers at 510 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 100 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 510 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 54 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18982 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The iPhone 13 Pro has a very colour-accurate screen (with True Tone disabled). Only the white balance is a tiny bit off.
With True Tone enabled, in dark environments the screen produces less blue light to protect usersā eyes. However, this results in an incorrect white balance.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 ms ... rise ā and fall ā combined | ↗ 1.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 5 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 7.2 ms ... rise ā and fall ā combined | ↗ 3.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 3.6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 13 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (34.5 ms). | ||
Outdoors, the iPhone 13 Pro impresses. The screen is legible even in extremely bright environments, thanks in part to a very effective anti-reflexive coating.
The viewing angles of the OLED panel are superb. Howbeit, at very acute angles the brightness drops slightly and the colours appear a little cooler.
Performance - Apple A15 provides a small boost
This year the Pro models feature the version of the A15 Bionic with a five-core GPU. Our review model comes with 6 GB of RAM (LPDDR4x).
In the benchmarks, the A15 offered 9% more single-core performance and 16% more multi-core performance when compared to the A14. In the physics section of the old 3DMark sequences, the A14 Bionic is actually faster than the A15 Bionic, probably because the latter throttled. The additional GPU core does not improve performance in the productivity benchmarks,
The iPhone 13 Pro comes with very fast internal storage, which is why it is able to achieve very good data transfer rates.
| Geekbench 5.2 - 5.5 | |
| Single-Core (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro | |
| Sony Xperia 1 III | |
| Apple iPhone 13 | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (1590 - 1755, n=9) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (119 - 1885, n=234, last 2 years) | |
| Multi-Core (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro | |
| Sony Xperia 1 III | |
| Apple iPhone 13 | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (4559 - 4914, n=9) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (473 - 5538, n=234, last 2 years) | |
| Metal Score (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 13 | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (10572 - 14115, n=8) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (10790 - 15823, n=8, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 13 | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (59.8 - 60.1, n=8) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=189, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 13 | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (358 - 447, n=8) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (19 - 497, n=189, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 13 | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (59.8 - 60.2, n=8) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 161, n=189, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 13 | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (165.9 - 253, n=8) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 331, n=190, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 13 | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (59.8 - 60.1, n=8) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 143, n=190, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 13 | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (60 - 172.4, n=8) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 223, n=190, last 2 years) | |
| Antutu v9 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | |
| Apple iPhone 13 | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (722973 - 832548, n=8) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (102602 - 1322448, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| AImark - Score v2.x (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | |
| Apple iPhone 13 | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (104532 - 107460, n=5) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1043 - 286905, n=93, last 2 years) | |
| Basemark GPU 1.2 | |
| 1920x1080 OpenGL Medium Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Average of class Smartphone (7.65 - 212, n=49, last 2 years) | |
| OpenGL Medium Native (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9.3 - 189.4, n=48, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Vulkan Medium Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Average of class Smartphone (7.51 - 2418, n=49, last 2 years) | |
| Vulkan Medium Native (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | |
| Average of class Smartphone (10 - 188.7, n=48, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Metal Medium Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 13 | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (203 - 220, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (203 - 258, n=5, last 2 years) | |
| Metal Medium Native (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 13 | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (155.4 - 167.9, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (157.8 - 181.9, n=5, last 2 years) | |
The iPhone 13 Pro provides a great internet-browsing experience. In the browser benchmarks, the iPhone completely crushes the competition.
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (173.5 - 189.9, n=8) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro (Safari 15) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 (Safari 15) | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (Chrome91) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (21.2 - 282, n=166, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Chrome 88) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro (Safari 15) | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (383 - 414, n=6) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 (Safari 15) | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (Chrome91) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (32.5 - 414, n=47, last 2 years) | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro (Chrome 89) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Chrome 88) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (228 - 347, n=8) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 (Safari 15) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro (Safari 15) | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (Chrome91) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 457, n=153, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Chrome 88) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - --- | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (219 - 279, n=8) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro (Safari 15) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 (Safari 15) | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (Chrome91) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Chrome 88) | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro (Chrome 89) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (37 - 292, n=134, last 2 years) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro (Safari 15) | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (57143 - 65969, n=8) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 (Safari 15) | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (Chrome91) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 74261, n=200, last 2 years) | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro (Chrome 89) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Chrome 88) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (414 - 9999, n=166, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Chrome 88) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (Chrome91) | |
| Oppo Find X3 Pro (Chrome 89) | |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14) | |
| Average Apple A15 Bionic (414 - 507, n=8) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 (Safari 15) | |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro (Safari 15) | |
* ... smaller is better
Gaming - High refresh rate gaming is not a thing yet
Unfortunately, at the time of our review GameBench did not work with iOS 15, which is why we were unable to provide gaming benchmarks. We shall provide gaming benchmarks at a late date.
The iPhone 13 Pro has a very capable GPU which should be able to handle all modern titles. When gaming, the notch occasionally gets in the way by covering up heads-up displays.
Update 14.10.2021: Added gaming benchmarks.
Emissions - High internal temperatures bite into performance
Temperatures
When idle, the iPhone 13 Pro gets quite warm with the brightness maxed out. Under full load, the surface temperatures increase slightly. However, the iPhone 13 Pro does not get as hot as the cheaper iPhone 13.
We use GFXBenchmark to test system stability under load. Here, we run each sequence three times in a row. Both the battery status and frame rates are recorded. In the T-Rex (OpenGL ES 2.0) and Manhattan (Metal) benchmarks, the iPhone 13 Pro does very well. However, in 3DMark Wild Life, the performance drops. Still, even when throttling, the A15 in the iPhone 13 Pro performs about as well as the Exynos 2100 in the Galaxy S21 Ultra does at its best.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.1 Ā°C / 95 F, compared to the average of 35 Ā°C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 Ā°C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 35.8 Ā°C / 96 F, compared to the average of 33.8 Ā°C / 93 F
(Ā±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.1 Ā°C / 92 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 Ā°C / 91 F.
3DMark Wild Life Stress Test
Speakers
Just like with the 12 Pro, the speakers of the iPhone 13 Pro are located in the earpiece and on the underside. The sound quality has improved somewhat, especially in the mid-range, which is why the iPhone 13 Pro sounds a bit clearer. At full volume, the iPhone 13 Pro does not produce a lot of bass, and the clarity is not superb.
Users can connect wired headphones via the Lightning port. An appropriate adapter will have to be purchased separately, though. Wireless headphones can be connected to the iPhone 13 Pro via Bluetooth 5.0. However, no Hi-Res codecs are supported.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(Ā±) | reduced mids - on average 5.1% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(Ā±) | higher highs - on average 7.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (1.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(Ā±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 90% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 39%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 24% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 69% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.9% lower than median
(Ā±) | linearity of bass is average (11.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 1% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 98% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 39%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 15% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 81% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%
Battery Life - iPhone 13 Pro is extremely energy-efficient
Energy Consumption
The iPhone 13 Pro has a higher peak power draw than its predecessor. The brighter screen is probably responsible for this. At minimum brightness, the 13 Pro is more energy-efficient, likely due to Appleās adaptive refresh rate technology. At a set display brightness, the iPhone 13 Pro proves to be an incredibly energy-efficient smartphone not only because it draws so little power but also because it outperforms the rest of the competition.
The iPhone 13 Pro can be charged at up to 20 W with a wired PD charger. Wirelessly, it can be charged at 7.5 W with a Qi charger and at 15 W with a MagSafe charger.
| Off / Standby |   0.09 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle |  0.51 / 1.54 / 1.57 Watt |
| Load |
3.06 / 4.59 Watt |
    
| |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro 3095 mAh | Apple iPhone 12 Pro 2815 mAh | Apple iPhone 13 3240 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra 5000 mAh | Oppo Find X3 Pro 4500 mAh | Average Apple A15 Bionic | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 7% | -17% | -61% | -65% | -61% | -30% | -38% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.51 | 0.64 -25% | 0.6 -18% | 1.06 -108% | 1.13 -122% | 0.93 -82% | 0.66 ? -29% | 0.888 ? -74% |
| Idle Average * | 1.54 | 1.22 21% | 1 35% | 1.19 23% | 1.67 -8% | 1.54 -0% | 1.303 ? 15% | 1.497 ? 3% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.57 | 1.24 21% | 1.3 17% | 1.2 24% | 1.69 -8% | 1.69 -8% | 1.748 ? -11% | 1.705 ? -9% |
| Load Average * | 3.06 | 3.04 1% | 4.5 -47% | 6.46 -111% | 5.17 -69% | 6.38 -108% | 4.85 ? -58% | 4.59 ? -50% |
| Load Maximum * | 4.59 | 3.86 16% | 7.8 -70% | 10.76 -134% | 9.9 -116% | 9.58 -109% | 7.77 ? -69% | 7.44 ? -62% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Draw: Geekbench (150 cd/mĀ²)
Power Draw: GFXBench (150 cd/mĀ²)
Battery Life
The iPhone 13 Pro has a 3095-mAh battery, which looks small when compared to the competition. However, the iPhone 13 Pro comes with a larger battery than its predecessor and therefore provides longer battery runtimes. Appleās smartphone is incredibly energy-efficient, which is why it does very well against the competition.
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro 3095 mAh | Apple iPhone 12 Pro 2815 mAh | Apple iPhone 13 3240 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra 5000 mAh | Oppo Find X3 Pro 4500 mAh | Sony Xperia 1 III 4500 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -18% | -5% | -24% | -36% | -24% | -46% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2614 | 2091 -20% | 2734 5% | 1408 -46% | 1108 -58% | ||
| H.264 | 1493 | 1117 -25% | 1224 -18% | 1310 -12% | 1006 -33% | ||
| WiFi v1.3 | 993 | 781 -21% | 1019 3% | 702 -29% | 650 -35% | 757 -24% | 534 -46% |
| Load | 333 | 311 -7% | 299 -10% | 304 -9% | 276 -17% |